1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to harvesters for sugar cane and the like, which at the harvester's front, entry end includes a cane topper for cutting off the tops of the cane stalks and cane gathering arms for gathering in the cane stalks for harvesting and topping and further handling. More particularly, the present invention is directed to an interconnected, adjustable height topper and gathering arm system for such harvesters.
2. Prior Art
A typical sugar cane harvester in use today will usually include a wheel-mounted, power-driven main frame; left and right, row straddling sets of crop lifter and gathering arms extending forwardly and downwardly from both sides of the front of the main frame and adapted (as the harvester is advanced) to pass to either side of a row of cane to be harvested to pick up and gather in the cane; a topping cutter mounted at a high level on the main frame and adapted (as the harvester advances) to sever the tops of the cane; and base cutter means on the frame to cut the cane stalks off at or near the ground level; as well as other equipment not particular pertinent to the present invention.
A list of exemplary prior art patents illustrating cane harvesters having both topper sections and cane gathering arm sections are listed below:
______________________________________ Patentee(s) Pat. No. Issue Date ______________________________________ I. H. Athey 1,741,602 Dec. 31, 1929 S. A. Thornton 3,095,680 July 2, 1963 J. K. Gaunt et al 3,141,281 July 21, 1964 J. K. Gaunt et al 3,144,743 Aug. 18, 1964 M. W. Fogels et al 3,325,982 June 20, 1967 J. K. Gaunt et al 3,434,271 Mar. 25, 1969 J. M. Mizzi 3,673,774 July 4, 1972 D. J. Quick 3,925,199 Dec. 9, 1975 ______________________________________
In the prior art, the cane toppers were either not connected to the gathering chain arms, with only the cane toppers being adjustable in height and the arms fixed, or the two separately adjustable; or, when interconnected, the topper blade angle varied with changes in height (from for example an optimum angle to a non-optimum angle). In the first instance, this resulted in greater mechanical complexity or a sacrifice in arm adjustability, or, in the latter instance, in unsatisfactory cane topping as the blade angle was varied to a non-optimum angle during height adjustment due to varying cane conditions during harvesting.
The present invention overcomes all these prior art deficiencies in a relatively simple, straight-forward, and reliable manner, producing a cane harvester with great flexibility to meet varying cane height conditions, with no loss in the quality of the topper cut.
3. General Discussion of Invention
The present invention mechanically joins the cane topper section and the upper cane gathering arm assemblies together for common movement on a vertically traveling base moving on vertical tracks. In the preferred embodiment, a variable length, pivoting, bracing arm support is included between the upper and lower, cane gathering arm assemblies to provide support to the upper cane gathering arms as they are moved up and down with the topper section. The topper cutter is maintained at its set, optimum cutting angle as its vertical height is varied.
In the present invention, the topper cutting angle is thus maintained at a constant optimum cutting angle as the topper and the attached, upper gathering arms are raised or lowered, in contrast to the prior art systems which had varied cutting angles, usually not optimum, as their connected topper and gathering arm assemblies were raised and lowered.
In the present invention, the operator controlled, continuously variable height, gathering arm and topper assembly provides the capability to gather, align, lift, and raise the cane, especially "down cane," to the proper height and position for topping at the optimum height and cutting angle, as field and cane conditions during harvesting. In contrast, prior art systems either had an adjustable topper and non-adjustable gathering arms, or had adjustable height, combined topper and gathering arm assemblies that would not maintain the optimum topper cutting angle as the topper/gathering arms are were raised and lowered.